History·2 May 2026·4 min read
The ruble — the coin cut from a silver bar
The name of Russia's oldest currency comes from a simple act: cutting a piece off a silver bar.
The word "ruble" comes from the Russian verb "to cut": originally, it was a piece cut off a silver bar (grivna). Its value, like the pound sterling, was the weight of the metal.
From bar to banknote
Like many currencies, the ruble began as weight in metal and became paper, then digital numbers. The path is always the same: from physical value to trust-based value.
